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28Mar

Firstly if you can't pay your rent take a deep breath, pick up the phone and call your Landlord or Letting Agent. Remember your health and mental well being is important. Being armed with the right information so you can make informed decisions is key and will also make you feel calmer! I hope the below will help in what is undoubtedly a very difficult and worrying time for everyone. 
 
 
The Legal position of any non-payment of rent
 
There has been no legislative change in relation to the payment of rent by tenants on behalf of the government. It is contractually due and if not paid, it will accrue as arrears and remains payable. Therefore if possible we would encourage you to pay all rent due on or before your rent due date detailed within your tenancy agreement.
 
 
What if you cant pay?
 
1. Contact your Agent or Landlord
Contact your landlord or letting agent. Do this as soon as possible to advise that you may not be able to pay the rent in full on or before your rent due date.  Confirm with them what steps you are taking to try and avoid this situation. 
 
Your landlord may be in a position to offer you a deferred payment (remember this is not a  Rent-Free Period or Holiday, your Rent is still due and payable as detailed in your Tenancy Agreement and will still be owed). A payment plan will then need to be agreed in order for you to pay this money back over a set period of time. Remember to be realistic and honest when agreeing to a payment plan. There is no point agreeing to something that you know will not be achievable.
 
2. Look to reduce your outgoings
Looking into all of your outgoings and costs. What could you cancel, reduce or change? Citizens advice offer some excellent information to assist with this: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/if-you-cant-pay-your-bills-because-of-coronavirus/  
 
3. Apply for Assistance
The Government has offered a series of financial measures to assist you whether you are PAYE or Self Employed. We would recommend starting your claims for Universal Credit or Employment Support as soon as possible to avoid any delays to your payments. 
Some websites that you may find useful are;
 
Understanding Universal Credit
 
Self Employment & Universal Credit
 
Employment & Support Allowance
 
Covid-19 Buisness Grants - Gravesham Borugh Council
 
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan
 
Citizen’s Advice
 
Citizen’s Advice
 
Emergency Funding
 
 
4. Keep Records
It is also worth noting that your landlord may need to request a mortgage holiday for themselves. For them to be successful it is likely that they will need to provide proof that the income they would normally receive is at risk and what has been done to try and prevent the situation. Your landlord may need evidence of your claims to provide to their lender to be able to activate the mortgage holiday, so keep your agent and landlord informed of what you are doing and forward details of your claims to them.
 
 
 
I hope these notes have been helpful. If you need any further help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us. Whilst our office is closed at this time we are all working as usual from home. 
 
Stay safe, Stay inside and wash those hands! We will get through this!
 
Sarah 

28Mar

As you should know under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, all gas appliances must be checked by a professional tradesman on an annual basis with a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate being issued to the tenants.

 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued guidance confirming that Agents and landlords need to use their best efforts to continue to deliver these obligations and should document all communication with tenants if they are unable to do so due to the virus.

 

If an agent or landlord anticipates difficulties in gaining access as the Coronavirus situation progresses, they have the flexibility to carry out annual gas safety checks two months before the deadline date. Landlords can have the annual gas safety checks at their properties carried out any time from 10 to 12 calendar months after the previous check and still retain the original deadline date as if the check had been carried out exactly 12 months after the previous check. 

 

You should therefore arrange your annual gas safety checks as early as possible, as a contingency against tenants being in self-isolation for a period of 14-days (in line with current guidelines), or gas engineers being unavailable due to illness. 

 

In the event that a property is inaccessible, e.g. persistent refusal of access due to vulnerable tenants self-isolating, agents and landlords will be expected to be able to demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to comply with the law. This will need to include records of communication with the tenant and details of their engineers attempts to gain access.

 

Should you wish to read more details around this topic please visit the Gas Safe Register's website by clicking here.  

 

If you are struggling and aren't sure of your obligations, please do not hesitate to contact us. As always, we are here to help!

 

Sarah 

16Mar

Our new Client Money Protection Certificate is now available to view. 

In line with the CMP legislation that came into force on the 1st April 2019, an electronic version of the CMP certificate provided by Propertymark must be displayed on our website and a hard copy displayed prominently in every branch. Please click here to view our certificate; https://www.mandmprop.co.uk/lettings-property-management

 

Should you wish to find out more about Client Money Protection, click here to read PropertyMarks information booklet. 

 

 

09Mar

We are so pleased to announce that once again we have been recognised by Feefo for our excellent customer service to our Customers and have received the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award 2020.

This is an independent seal of excellence that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, rated by actual customers.

As all reviews are verified as genuine, the accreditation is a true reflection of a business’s commitment to outstanding service.

Feefo have given Platinum Trusted Service awards to businesses who have achieved Gold standard for three consecutive years. The Feefo Gold Trusted Service award recognises those who have collected at least 50 Feefo reviews in a year, and have achieved a service rating of at least 4.5.

We’re very excited to receive this award because it’s based on the feedback of real customers, who are the most important judges of all. It recognises how hard we work to give all our customers the best possible experience. Everyone at M&M is fully committed to the highest quality of service, so it’s important for us to listen, understand and respond to all our customers. The beauty of Feefo is that it enables us to consistently improve, so we’re looking forward to another successful year.

You can read all of our fantastic reviews by clicking here.

06Mar

Mortgage approvals, sales activity and buyer enquiries are all on an upward trajectory as we head towards spring.  The start of 2020 has seen an upswing in the number of new buyers entering the marketplace, with Rightmove reporting new buyer registrations up 15% year-on-year in the four weeks since the election. 
 
Property price growth across the UK is at its strongest level in a year which in Gravesham equates to a 1.5% rise. There has never been a better time to move! 
 
Read the full report here
 
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